Grain scouring machine



Feb. 29, 1944.

P. M. LARMoN 2,342,871

GRAIN sc'ounme MACHINE Filed June-17, 1942 Patented Feb. 29, 1944 GRAIN SCOURING MACHINE Porter M. Larmon, Muncy, Pa., assignor to Sprout, Waldron & Company, Muncy, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 17, 1942, Serial No. 447,425

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for scouring and removing the fuzz from cereal grains.

In the handling of cereal grains such as wheat,

oats and the like, before the grain is cracked or milled, it is subjected to acleaning or scouring action to remove from the surface of the grain particles of dirt or foreign matter which may adhere thereto and also to remove the naturallyoccurring fuzz which is present on certain of these grains at the small or pointed end of the grain. The fuzz adheres tightly, and is not only undesirable in itself, but it serves to collect and retain dust and other dirt particles, making" it important and desirable to provide for its removal in the preliminary stages of the handling of the grain, but without the cracking of the body of the grain or the removal therefrom of any of the outer hull or bran.

It is accordingly the principal object of this invention to provide a machine of simple and inexpensive construction which has highcapacity for scouring grain such as wheat and the like for removing the fuzz and accumulated dirt therefrom without the cracking of the grain and leaving the body of the grain intact.

It is a further object to provide such a device in which the action is concentrated at the small end of the grain which carries the fuzz, to effect removal of the fuzz while leaving the body of the grain whole and uncracked.

It is a still further object to provide such a device in which the grain is arranged to stand on end and in this position is subjected to a series of rubbing actions as distinguished from a cutting action so that without cracking or cutting of the surface of the grain, the tightly adhering fuzz and accumulated dirt are completely and effectively removed from the end of the grain.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawing, and the appended claims.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a grain scouring machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a broken view partially in end elevation looking toward the delivery end of the device and showing the scroll case for the fan, and partially in cross-section through the rotary drum on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the channel bars which form the working surface of the rotating drum; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view on an enlarged scale showing the construction for supporting the channel bars intermediate the ends thereof.

Referring to the drawing which discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention, a sup- Porting frame is indicated generally at it comprising front and rear end plates II and I2, and side wall plates l3 and I4, forming an enclosing casing. This casing is arranged in the 1 form of a truncated pyramid, to provide a wider spacing at the bottom than at the top, as shown in Fig. 2. At the top of the side wall plate, there are provided inwardly extending flanges l6 and If, these flanges serving as supports for receiving spaced bearings I8 and I9. Angle sections 29 and 2| are bolted to the plates H and i2 and the bearings are suitably bolted to the angles to provide firm supports for the bearings.

The shaft is indicated at 25 journalled in bearings l8 and I9, and is provided'with an overhanging end which receives a drive pulley 2B.

The shaft carries the rotating drum 2'! which performs the scouring or cleaning action, the construction of this drum being as follows.- A pair of end disks 28,29 having hub portions 39,

.31, are secured on the shaft and held in predetermined fixed spaced relation thereon. At-

tached to the opposing faces of the disks 28 and 29 are a series of channel members 32, these members being received inwardly of the faces of the disks, and suitably attached thereto as by means of welding or the like. The channel members have a web section 33 and two flange sections 34, and are mounted on the disks in such manner that the outer edge of the flanges thereby forming a drum surface composed of a series of more or less equally spaced ribs or flanges. As so constructed the drum is not closed in a radial direction, but has spaces between al ternate ribs permitting the passage of the grain or of air currents from the interior of the drum through to the outer surface thereof.

Also as indicated in Fig. 1 the channel members are not arranged parallel with the shaft 25, but are given a slight lead so that they spiral and thus provide a feeding action for advancing the grain from one end of the drum toward the other. one of the end disks 26, 29 with respect to the other.

Preferably one or more intermediate supports are provided for .the channel members, such su ports being suitably provided by meansof disks 35 which are fixed to shaft 25, and the outer peripheries of which are notched to the depth of flanges 3 as indicated at 31, to receive the channels therein, thus providing for securely supporting the bars while maintaining the uniform spacing and arrangement of the outer pepllcryc r the drum The channel members are This may be effected by suitably fixing Stationary circular end plates 40 and 4| are carried respectively on flanges it and H, such end plates being provided with inwardly extending opposed annular shoulder portions 42 and 43 which serve as supports for receiving a cylindrical screen member 44. The screen is telescoped over the respective flanges 42 and 43 and is held thereby in uniformly spaced relation with respect to the rotating drum 21.

A fixed cover 45 of semi-cylindrical form is positioned over the upper half of the screen, preferably having an extent of somewhat more than half of the circumference, as illustrated in Fig. 2, thereby forming with the side plates I 3, 14, a completely enclosed chamber within which the screen and the drum are enclosed. The cover 46 is supported on the flanges 41 formed at the upper end of plates l3, l4 and may if desired be arranged for pivotal movement, to be readily removed or thrown backward when access to the screen is desired.

A feed hopper 5D is located adjacent one end of the drum and is provided with an inwardly sloping portion 51 passing through the end disk 40, to deliver grain to be cleaned into the lefthand end of the cylindrical space in which the drum operates. The grain quickly travels to the annular space 52 between the outer surface of the bars 34 and the screen 44 and is caused to have a series of movements in an outward and generally tangential direction under the action of centrifugal force during which it travels substantially endwise toward the screen. Striking the screen, the fuzz is effectively removed and as the rotating motion is checked, the grain tends to fall backwardly toward the rotating drum where it is again picked up and placed in rotation but without receiving a cutting or cracking action. By reason of the lead of the ribs, the grain is progressively worked toward the discharge end and is finally delivered to the space beyond the end of the drum.

A discharge opening 53 is provided adjacent the lower part of disk 4| at the delivery end of the drum, to receive the grain which has been cleaned, and to deliver it to a vertically arranged discharge passage 54 through which it falls by gravity to the outlet 55. Preferably a series of opposed baflie members 56 are located in the passage 54 on opposite sides thereof to cause the'grain to fall through a series of passes and to be agitated and additionally cleaned thereby.

In order to provide for a suction action to effect withdrawal of the separated particles of fuzz and dirt from the grain, a fan indicated at 60 is mounted upon the end of the shaft 25 adjacent the discharge point. The fan blades 6! are enclosed within a scroll case 82 which is supported from end plate 4! by means of bracket 63, the air being delivered through a discharge tube 66, and drawn into the central part of the fan chamber through conduit 65. extends to the lower portion of the casing where it is formed with a plurality of branches 55 which branches communicate with the space beneath the baffle members 55 through openings 61 which are directed downwardly and thus protected against passage of the grain thereinto. Adjustable gates 68 drop into effective air sealing relation with the branches 6%. In this way the suction action is made effective upon the grain during its downward passage through the dischargeo-pening 5 the grain it falls onto the successive baflle members being repeatedly agitated and subjected to the cross current air flow.

This conduit with the result that it is effectively cleaned and segregated from any remaining foreign particles by the time it reaches the lower end of the discharge chamber.

The alternate bafiles 10 carried on the wall of end plate l2 are also arranged over air apertures H through which air is drawn from the interior of the main base casing Hi. The interior of this space forms a collecting chamber and is formed interiorly with funnel shaped sloping wall portions 12 in the shape of a hopper. It is of relatively large dimension so that fuzz and dirt separated by the action of screen 44 may collect and fall downwardly to a discharge point 73 normally covered by a removable gate 14. Air is permitted to flow inwardly into the space around and outside the hoppered section 12 through a screen 15, thus providing an air inlet for apertures H for collection of the fuzz and the loose dirt that adheres to the grain before delivery of the cleaned grain through its discharge outlet 55. A suction action may be made effective upon the outside of the screen #4 if desired, to facilitate the removal from the screen of the dust, etc., propelled through the screen under the action of centrifugal force, and this may be accomplished by maintaining a differential pressure condition in the hopper space 12 below the pressure existing within the space occupied by the rotating drum 21.

It is found that in order to secure the desired results it is important to provide the proper number of rib surfaces on the drum, and to rotate such ribs at a speed which is within predetermined limits and properly correlated with the dimensions of the grain and with the dimensions of the space between the drum and screen. Thus, where an insufficient number of ribs are provided, so that the spacing between adjacent ribs is too great, it is found that the grain has a tendency to drop inwardly into the space'between the ribs, and to be then picked up by the ribs and to move across the side faces thereof during its outward passage under the action of centrifugal force. This side movement across the ribs will in time, because of the friction action thus occasioned, produce a sharpening action upon the edges of the ribs, to cause them to become so sharp as to actually out the body of the grain. However where the ribs are spaced more closely together and in predetermined rela tion to the speed of rotation, the grain is kept primarily in the space between the outer periphery of the drum, and the inner periphery of the screen. Under these conditions, the side surfaces of the ribs do not receive any material wear, and are not subjected to the undesirable sharpening action which is occasioned thereby. It is this action which is desired, and which is accomplished through the practicing of the present invention, the grain being moved under the action of centrifugal force in a generally tangential direction outwardly and with an endwise move ment. As it progresses from the supply to the discharge end of the drum, it is successively presented toward the screen in a series of essentially endwise movements and caused to move repeatedly in this direction between the peripheral surfaces of the ribs, and the stationary screen surface. The screen receives the outwardly moving grain and its travel is checked sufficiently to cause it to drop back to contact the outer surface of the ribs to increase its velocity and again cause it to fly outwardly under centrifugal force. The ribs being smooth surfaced. do not j feet per minute.

cut or (crack the :surface of .the;:grain, randthe repeated @contacts of lthegrain with the bars and the screen in its :several endwise movements are effective to remove the fuzz from the ;-grain, but without causing damage to or lthe cracking of either end or the main body of the :grain itself. The fuzz and dirt are ;10ropelledithr0ugh the screen and drop or :are conveyed by aircurrents to the bottom of the hopper from which they can be removed.

As a specific example of a construction which has been found togive highly satisfactory results in use for the scouring of wheat, the diameter of the drum 'was 17% inches, and the inner diameter of the screen was 18 inches. This provided a radial spacing between the ends of the ribs and the screen of approximately of an inch, this being found to be a "suitable spacing when handling this grain. Where it is desired to handle other grains of different size, it is generally found that this spacing should be approximately 2 to 2% times the average length of the rain. The screen used was of 8 mesh.

On .such drum there were positimoed 48 channel members spaced with their center 1 /8 inches apart. thus providing ribs with a spacing of approximately 3 5 of an inch, or generally of the same order as that of the space between the drum and the screen. number and spacing of such ribs could be varied, but if greatly limited, the desired action of maintaining the body of the grain primarily in the space between the drum and the screen was interfered with. 1

The drum had va working "length-of three feet, and the bars were given a spiral of 2 inches in the length of the drum. With such drum, it was found desirable to rotate at a speed of approximately 425 R. P. thus producing a peripheral travel atthe surface of the ribs of about 1920 feet per minute. It was found that to obtain the desired action, the peripheral travel should preferably be within about 1900 to 2500 A device so constructed and operating was found to have a capacity of 50 to 60 bushels of wheat per hour, which was effectively cleaned and scoured, while retaining the entire body of the grain intact.

The invention thus provides a simple and yet highly effective wheat scouring device. The machine is constructed of simple parts, and may be manufactured quite inexpensively, and likewise is relatively easy to maintain in proper operating condition. It has adequate capacity, and when operated in the manner described, performs an effective cleaning and scouring action and provides for the deliveryof the secured grain with the bran still on the wheat, so that the cleaned wheat can then be subjected to any further milling or refining operation which may be desired.

While. the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodimentof the invention. it to be understood that theinvention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A grain scouring machine of the character described for removing fuzz and dirt from the grain while leaving the entire body of the grain intact which comprises a pair of spaced disks mounted for rotation about a horizontal azis, a plurality of channel shaped bars carried by aid It "was found that the disks and having their Ilegs facing outwardly thereof, said bars being spaced from each other around the periphery of said disks androtatable therewith forming a smooth-surfaced rotating drum and adapted to Over-turn and .up-end the grain to align thesame in substantially a radial direction, a stationary cylindrical screen'of wire mesh material enclosing said rotating drum and closely approaching the outer surface of saidbars in predetermined spaced relation to receive the grain asitiisthrown outwardly with anendwise movement during rotation of said bars to remove the fuzz and. dirt therefrom, the radial spacing between said screen and said bars being greater than the average length of the grain,and means for rotating said drum at a predetermined speed to cause the grain to be thrown outwardly-against said screen with a substantially endwise movement.

2. A grain scouring machine of the character described for removing fuzz and dirt from the grain while leaving the entire body of the grain intact which comprises a pair of spaced disks mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, a plurality of channel shaped bars carried by said disks and having their legs facing outwardly thereof, said bars being spaced from each other around the periphery of said disks and rotatable therewith forming a rotating drum, said legs acting to over-turn and up-end the grain to arrange the same in substantially uniform radial alignment while imparting rotational velocity thereto, a stationary cylindrical screen enclosing said rotating drum and closely approaching the outer surface of said bars to receive the grain as it is thrown outwardly in an endwise direction during rotation of said bars to remove the fuzz and dirttherefrom, the radial spacing between said screen and said bars being greater than the average length of the grain, and means for retating said drum to give a peripheral speed for said bars of the order of 1,900 to 2,500 feet per minute to cause the grain to be thrown outwardly against said screen with a substantially endwise movement.

3. A grain scouring machine of the character described for removing fuzz and dirt from the grain while leaving the entire body of the grain intact which comprises a pair of spaced disks mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, a plurality of axially-extending bars spaced from each other around the periphery of said disks and rotatable therewith forming a smooth-surfaced rotating drum, a stationary wire mesh screen enclosing said rotating drum and closely approaching the outer surface of said bars to receive the grain as it is thrown outwardly durin'g rotation of said bars to remove the fuzz and dirt therefrom, the radial spacing between said screen and said bars being greater than the average length of the grain, and means for rotating said drum at a predetermined speed to throw the grain outwardly by centrifugal force in a substantially endwise direction preventing the grain from falling into the spaces between the bars and maintaining the grain primarily in the space between said bars and the screen.

4. A grain scouring machine of the character described for removing fuzz and dirt from the grain While leaving the entire body of the grain intact which comprises a pair of disks, means for mounting said disks in spaced relation for rotation about a horizontal axis, a plurality of individual axially-extending channel bars having oth faced, flanges thereon secured to said.

disks around the periphery thereof with the flanges extending radially outwardly in position to up-end the grain and to arrange the same in substantially radial alignment, a, stationary wire mesh screen enclosing said disks and bars and having a radial spacing therefrom of the order of 2 to 2% times the average length of the grain, and means for rotating said disks and bars at a predetermined speed to throw the grain outwardly by centrifugal force in an endwise direction and to maintain the grain primarily in the space between said bars and said screen.

5. A grain scouring machine of the character described comprising a rotating drum carrying a plurality of spaced axially extending smoothfaced ribs on its peripheral surface, means for mounting said drum for rotation about a horizontal axis, means for supplying grain to the outer periphery of said drum to be engaged and Lip-ended by said ribs with resulting substantially uniform alignment and outward centrifugal discharge thereof in an endwise direction, a stationary wire mesh screen enclosing said drum and adapted to receive the grain as it is thrown outwardly from said ribs under the action of centrifugal force and to separate the fuzz and dirt therefrom by engagement of the end of the grain with the smooth surface of said Wire mesh while maintaining the body of the grain intact, said screen being spaced from said ribs by an annular space of substantially uniform depth, and means for driving said drum at a predetermined speed such that the grain is thrown outwardly and maintained primarily in said space between the drum and said screen.

6. A grain scouring machine of the character described comprising a rotating drum carrying a plurality of spaced fiat-surfaced axially-extending ribs on its peripheral surface, said ribs having a predetermined relatively close spacing from each other in a peripheral direction, means for supplying grain to the outer periphery of said drum to be engaged and up-ended by said ribs with resulting substantially uniform alignment and outward centrifugal discharge thereof in an endwise direction, a stationary cylindrical screen of wire mesh material enclosing said drum and adapted to receive the grain as thrown out from said ribs under the action of centrifugal force and to separate the fuzz and dirt therefrom while maintaining the body of the grain intact, said screen being spaced radially from said ribs a distance of approximately the same order as the space between said ribs, said space being approximately 2 to 2% times the average length of the grain being handled, and means for rotating said drum at a predetermined speed to provide for throwing the grain outwardly with a substantially endwise movement and maintaining the grain primarily in the space between said ribs and said screen.

'7. A grain scouring machine of the character described which comprises a rotating drum carrying a plurality of spaced flat-surfaced ribs on its peripheral surface, means for introducing the grain in the drum at one end thereof, said ribs on their outer peripheral surface engaging the grain to up-end and to impart rotation thereto to cause the grain to move outwardly in a substantially endwise movement, a stationary generally cylindrical screen enclosing said drum and adapted to receive the grain as it is thrown outwardly from said rib under th action of centrifugal force and to separate the fuzz and dirt therefrom by contact with the endwise moving grain while maintaining the body of the grain intact, the rotational velocity of the grain being checked by contact with the screen to cause the grain to return to contact with the outer surface of said ribs, the spacing of said ribs from each other being comparable with the spacing of the screen from the outer surface of the ribs and approximately 2 to 2 times the length of the grain being handled, said ribs having a lead to provide for feeding of the grain along the length thereof toward the discharge end, and means beneath the screen for collecting the withdrawn particles of fuzz and dirt removed by said screen.

8. A grain scouring machine of the character described for developing a gentle scouring action on grain such as wheat to remove the fuzz and dirt therefrom while keeping the body of the grain intact which comprises a rotating drum carrying a plurality of spaced flat-surfaced ribs on its periphery the outer surfaces of which in rotation travel within a substantially cylindrical path and which form grain-receiving pockets between their side faces, said ribs having a lead to gradually advance the grain from one end of said drum to the other, means for introducing the grain into the outer periphery of said rotating drum adjacent one end thereof with resulting engagement by and up-ending of the grain on the smooth side surfaces of said pockets followed by radially outward travel thereof, a substantially cylindrical wire mesh screen enclosing said drum in predetermined substantially uniformly spaced relation therewith for receiving the endwise moving grain in the meshes thereof to remove the fuzz and dirt therefrom, and means for rotating the drum at a predetermined speed to repeatedly discharge the grain outwardly of said pockets and into contact with said screen with a gentle scouring action leaving the body of the grain intact.

9. A grain scouring machine of the character described for developing a gentle scouring action on grain such as Wheat to remove the fuzz and dirt therefrom while keeping the body of the grain intact which comprises a rotating drum carrying a plurality of spaced flat-surfaced ribs on its periphery the outer surfaces of which in rotation travel within a substantially cylindrical path and which form grain-receiving pockets between their side faces, said ribs having a lead to gradually advance the grain from one end of said drum to the other, means for introducing the grain into the outer periphery of said rotating drum adjacent one end thereof with resulting eng'agement by and up-ending of the grain on the smooth side surfaces of said pockets followed by radially outward travel thereof, a substantially cylindrical wire mesh screen enclosing said drum in predetermined substantially uniformly spaced relation therewith for receiving the endwise moving grain in the meshes thereof to remove the fuzz and dirt therefrom, means for rotating the drum at a predetermined speed to repeatedly discharge the grain outwardly of said pockets and into contact with said screen with a gentle scour ing action leaving the body of the grain intact, and means for subjecting the grain and the removed fuzz and dirt to an aspirating action to segregate the cleaned grain therefrom.

PORTER M. LARMON, 

